In June 2018, without fanfare, chef-owner Jeff Tan launched a standalone cocktail bar atop his modern Chinatown canteen, Viet Food. Random decor – blue/green mosaic glass, a wall fashioned from wine cases, and a childlike townscape mural –doesn’t gel well. The same might be said for the comically faltering service we received when parking up at the bar’s island counter. Nevertheless, such slips were soon overlooked as we pored over Alex Looi’s signature pours. The mixologist’s stints at Park Chinois and Hakkasan have borne fruit, as evidenced in a range of charismatic cocktails. Sexy Saigon-inspired sips Slim Beauty (rum, bitters, mulberry vinegar, rosemary sirop, blackberry, rooibos tea and lime juice) and Kiss Me Softly (a Midori, plum, maraschino, cinnamon, aloe vera and basil Sour) punch way above their modest price tags. Snacks such as crispy coconut calamari and chilli beef sirloin also appeal. If only the ambience were more louche.